Round holes on keel

[Jim Brener]

When the boat was hauled this year I found over a dozen quarter to 50 cent holes on the keel, more on the port side than starboard, that went through the gelcoat to the epoxy/fiber lay up. In the 9 years we have has the boat, we have never had blisters and these did not look like a blister.  I have no idea what caused them.  Being short of time on the hard, I filled them with Marine Tex and see if that holds until the next haul out. 

Any thoughts on what could cause these holes?

[Ron Hill]

Jim : I assume that "holes on the keel" means in the lead portion of the keel?  You didn't mention the depth of the holes?
Maybe they were always there and the fairing material came out?    

[Jim Brener]

Ron, the holes are through the hard white gel coat but not down to the lead.  May have been there before but why would they show up now, after all these years.  Looks like a giant barnicle was pried off but I have not seen any that large. No harm done, just a mystery.

[Roc]

Jim.
On the bottom of my keel, parts of the gelcoat has flaked off.  Apparently not a good grip on the lead.  Spoke face to face with Gerry Douglas at a recent boat show about it.  He said the beauty of lead is that exposure is not a problem.  He told me not to bother fairing it with epoxy, but just paint over it with bottom paint.  Been like that for a couple seasons and really no issues found.

[Roger Blake]

I had a similar issue in 2008...cracks throughout the cover over the lead. Talked to Frank Butler and Kent Nelson at Catalina Yachts about it. Got a similar response...no structural problem, lead is lead, just paint over it...which is what I've been doing with no other problems arising.

[Ron Hill]

Jim : I'm sure that some fairing material has come loose.  Just put some more paste epoxy in those holes, smooth them out and or just paint over them.